Process and device for anchoring a band used to mount ventilation ducts etc. in a construction

ABSTRACT

A method and a device for anchoring a suspension band in a structural element, such as a ceiling, having a bore. The method consists of forming a loop or bight in the band and driving it into the bore by means of the wedge device which is engaged in the bight with the enlarged forward end of the wedge device innermost in the bore. The device consists of two wedge members which are connected in longitudinal alignment which may be separated by a fracturable impression therebetween. When the upper wedge member is fully engaged in the bore, the lower member is separated from it and is inserted into the bore alongside the first member but on the opposite side of the one leg of the band and is driven home to clamp that leg of the band between the two wedge members and also to clamp the other leg of the band between the side of the bore and the other wedge member. The first wedge member is provided with stop ears to position it in the bore so that its leading end does not engage the bottom of the bore. Preferably the two wedge members are stamped out of a common sheet of metal material.

United States Patent [191 Broberg [45] Aug. 13, 1974 1 PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR ANCHORING A BAND USED TO MOUNT VENTILATION 'DUCTS ETC. IN A CONSTRUCTION [75] Inventor: Georg Broberg, Solna, Sweden [73] Assignee: Aktiebolaget Svenska Flaktfabriken,

Nacka, Sweden 221 Filed: Feb. 23, 1973 211 Appl. No.:335,250

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,157,417 11/1964 Ruskin 85/72 X 3,518,915 7/1970 Gutshall 3,598,013 8/1971 Broberg 85/79 Primary Examiner1-1enry C. Sutherland 7 Assistant ExaminerCarl D. Friedman ABSTRACT A method and a device for anchoring a suspension band in a structural element, such as a ceiling, having a bore. The method consists of forming a loop or bight in the band and driving it into the bore by means of the wedge device which is engaged in the bight with the enlarged forward end of the wedge device innermost in the bore. The device consists of two wedge members which are connected in longitudinal alignment which may be separated by a fracturable impression therebetween. When the upper wedge member is fully engaged in the bore, the lower member is separated from it and is inserted into the bore alongside the first member but on the opposite side of the one leg of the band and is driven home to clamp that leg of the band between the two wedge members and also to clamp the other leg of the band between the side of the bore and the other wedge member. The first wedge member is provided with stop ears to position it in the bore so that its leading end does not engage the bottom of the bore. Preferably the two wedge members are stamped'out of a common sheet of metal material.

PAIENIE AUG 1 31974 w I NARA PROCESS AND D VICE FOR ANCHORING A BAND USED TO MOUNT VENTILATION DUCTS ETC. IN A CONSTRUCTION The invention submitted here concerns a process and a corresponding device for anchoring a band used to mount ventilation ducts etc. in a construction, eg a roof in which a hole serves for this purpose, by wedging the band in said hole by means of two wedge units. This invention will primarily be used in the building sector. In house construction it is often necessary to mount or secure ventilation ducts, suspensed ceilings, cable ladders, pipes etc. in steel bands. In such cases the question arises as to the secure anchoring of the steel bands in the roof, walls and floor. This is easily solved by the process and corresponding fastening device according to the manufacture and its extremely low mounting costs; moreover, the process requires no special tools for implementation.

The process according to the invention is characterized by that the front end of one of the two wedge units, positioned one behind the other, is inserted into the hole with the band folded and straddled over said front end and driven in by hammering against the rear end of the second wedge unit, and the second wedge unit is then'broken loose from the aforesaid first wedge unit, which has already been inserted, and finally the second wedge unit is inserted at the side of the first one in the hole and is likewise driven into the hole with a hammer, whereby the wedging causes the mounting band, as well as the two separate wedge units, to be pressed against the walls of the hole ensuring that the mounting band is secure.

The device for implementing the process is characterized by that the wedge elements consist of two wedges constructed in one piece with a fractural impression placed where the two are joined.

Accordingly, it is recommended that the wedges be constructed with the side walls tapering lengthwise toward one another, forming two wedges with their tips pointed toward one another and constructed with an interjacent fractural impression.

In order to prevent the first wedge half from being driven too far in, the operative design is advantageous in that between the aforesaid fractural impression and the wedge in front there are side projections which are made wider than the diameter of the hole.

In order to prevent damage to the band when the first wedge is being driven in, the wedge which is to be driven into the hole first shall be sloped at its front end, in accordance with a submitted operative design.

Both Of the wedges, which come in one piece, are, in accordance with their well-adapted operative design, made of long, thin, died plate, preferably U-shaped.

The invention will now be described in greater detail in Conjunction with the attached drawing which shows an example of the operative design of the anchoring device, in which FIG. 1 shows a sectional view FIG. 2 shows a terminal view and FIG. 3 shows a plane view of the anchoring device,

while FIG. 4 shows the anchoring device together with a steel band during the first stage of anchoring,

FIG. 5 shows the anchoring device and the steel band during the second and final stage of anchoring,

FIG. 6 shows a cross section along lines VIVI in FIG. 4 and FIG. 7 shows a cross section along lines VIIVII in FIG. 5.

In the figures, 1 gives a comprehensive picture of the anchoring device. The anchoring device is of steel and forms what is mainly a continuous U-section with its end segments 13, 14 and 15. In the middle segment of the U-section the side walls are reduced to the level of the bottom of the U-section and form feathers 6 and 7 at the side projections providing a simple way to prevent wedge la from being driven too far into hole 17. On either side of feathers 6 and 7 are seen waists 8 and 9, with waist 8 being provided with a fractural impression and, consequently, is intentionally weaker than waist 9. Waist 8 is designed to be easily broken subsequent to anchoring. The side walls of the U- section have edges 2-3 and 4-5 which incline toward one another and by so doing form sloping sections toward waists 8 and 9. At the extreme end of the wedge-shaped unit la recess 10 can be seen, through which the side walls of the U-section show semicircular ends 13 and 14 and edges 11 and 12.

FIG. 4 shows the first stage of anchoring when the U- section with its end segment has been inserted into bore 17 together with doubled steel band 16, which encloses (straddles) the end segment of the U-section with its bevelled ends 13 and 14. At the conclusion of this process the anchoring device is inserted until the side projections with feathers 6 and 7 hold against the sides at the opening of bore 17.

FIG. 5 shows the second stage of anchoring subsequent to breaking the outer wedge-shaped unit of the U-section at the intentionally weakened waist 8; rotating it half a turn around its longitudinal direction, it is inserted and driven into bore 17 so that its bevelled edges 2 and 3 press the lower right segment tangent to wedge segment 1a of the -U-section and its bevelled edges 4 and 5. The wedge-shaped unit is driven in with several light blows of a hammer against end segment 15 of the U-section. Due to wedging, steel band 16 becomes securely anchored in bore 17. The anchoring receives additional reinforcement if traction is put on steel band 16 by way of the weight of the mounted ventilation ducts or other weight.

I claim:

1. A method for anchoring a suspension band in a structural element having a bore with side walls extending inwardly from the surface of the structural element by first and second wedge members, the first of said wedge members having a width less than the width of said band and a graduated height tapering from the enlarged inner end longitudinally outward, said second wedge member being connected to said first member and having a graduated height tapering longitudinally thereof, said bore having a width in one direction slightly in excess of the width of said band and having a width in the perpendicular direction in excess of the greatest height of the first wedge section, the method comprising the steps of forming a bight in said suspension band for insertion into said bore with the legs of said bight extending outwardly therefrom, disposing said first wedge member between said legs with said enlarged forward end thereof toward said bight, maintaining'said second wedge member in longitudinal alignment with said first wedge member and driving said.

members longitudinally inward of said bore to abut the enlarged end portion of said first member against said bight, and position said bight within said bore, separating said second member from said first member and anchoring said band by driving said second wedge member into said bore alongside said first member on the opposite side of one of said legs to thereby grip said one leg between said wedge members and to grip the other of said legs between the side wall of said bore and said first wedge member.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said first wedge member has outwardly-projecting ears at its outer end, the method including the step of driving said first wedge member into said bore to cause said ears to abut against the surface of said structural element and arrest displacement of said first wedge member into said bore, said bore having a length greater than the length of said first wedge member so that the bight does not engage against the inner end of said bore.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said first and second wedge members are of channel cross section having a pair of flanges of graduated height and an intermediate web. portion, said members being connected with their webs in longitudinal alignment by a fracturable impression therebetween, said step of driving second member into said bore including the step of aligning its flanges with the flanges of the first member, whereby one leg of the band is gripped between said flanges and the other leg of the band is gripped between the web of the first member and the wall of the bore.

in the bore of a structural element, said bore being defined by side walls extending inwardly from one surface of said element, the width of said bore in one direction being approximately equal to the width of said band, said device comprising a pair of wedge members disposed in longitudinal alignment with a central connection having a fracturable impression therebetween, said wedge members having a channel-shaped cross section and being equal in width to each other and of less width of said band, the cross section of said wedge member providing a pair of upstanding flanges and an intermediate web portion, said web portions being disposed in longitudinal alignment with the fracturable impression therebetween, said impression being fracturable by lateral displacement of one web portion relative to the other but resistant to fracture by longitudinal impact.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein the flanges of said wedge members taper in height from the free ends of said connected members toward the center connection.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the free end of the first member has the flanges formed in semicircular shape to provide a rounded abutment for engaging the band when formed in a bight.

8. A device according to claim 5 wherein said first member adjacent said fracturable impression is provided with laterally-extending ears to provide a width exceeding the width of said band and exceeding the width of said bore to provide a stop for limiting the longitudinal displacement of said first member into said bore.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein the flanges of the first member are offset outwardly to constitute said stop ears adjacent said fracturable impression. 

1. A method for anchoring a suspension band in a structural element having a bore with side walls extending inwardly from the surface of the structural element by first and second wedge members, the first of said wedge members having a width less than the width of said band and a graduated height tapering from the enlarged inner end longitudinally outward, said second wedge member being connected to said first member and having a graduated height tapering longitudinally thereof, said bore having a width in one direction slightly in excess of the width of said band and having a width in the perpendicular direction in excess of the greatest height of the first wedge section, the method comprising the steps of forming a bight in said suspension band for insertion into said bore with the legs of said bight extending ouTwardly therefrom, disposing said first wedge member between said legs with said enlarged forward end thereof toward said bight, maintaining said second wedge member in longitudinal alignment with said first wedge member and driving said members longitudinally inward of said bore to abut the enlarged end portion of said first member against said bight, and position said bight within said bore, separating said second member from said first member and anchoring said band by driving said second wedge member into said bore alongside said first member on the opposite side of one of said legs to thereby grip said one leg between said wedge members and to grip the other of said legs between the side wall of said bore and said first wedge member.
 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said first wedge member has outwardly-projecting ears at its outer end, the method including the step of driving said first wedge member into said bore to cause said ears to abut against the surface of said structural element and arrest displacement of said first wedge member into said bore, said bore having a length greater than the length of said first wedge member so that the bight does not engage against the inner end of said bore.
 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said first and second wedge members are of channel cross section having a pair of flanges of graduated height and an intermediate web portion, said members being connected with their webs in longitudinal alignment by a fracturable impression therebetween, said step of driving second member into said bore including the step of aligning its flanges with the flanges of the first member, whereby one leg of the band is gripped between said flanges and the other leg of the band is gripped between the web of the first member and the wall of the bore.
 4. A method according to claim 1 including the step of providing a rounded inner end portion on said first member and driving said member into the bight so as to conform the bight of the band to the rounded curvature of the inner end portion of said first wedge member.
 5. An anchor device for anchoring a suspension band in the bore of a structural element, said bore being defined by side walls extending inwardly from one surface of said element, the width of said bore in one direction being approximately equal to the width of said band, said device comprising a pair of wedge members disposed in longitudinal alignment with a central connection having a fracturable impression therebetween, said wedge members having a channel-shaped cross section and being equal in width to each other and of less width of said band, the cross section of said wedge member providing a pair of upstanding flanges and an intermediate web portion, said web portions being disposed in longitudinal alignment with the fracturable impression therebetween, said impression being fracturable by lateral displacement of one web portion relative to the other but resistant to fracture by longitudinal impact.
 6. A device according to claim 5 wherein the flanges of said wedge members taper in height from the free ends of said connected members toward the center connection.
 7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the free end of the first member has the flanges formed in semi-circular shape to provide a rounded abutment for engaging the band when formed in a bight.
 8. A device according to claim 5 wherein said first member adjacent said fracturable impression is provided with laterally-extending ears to provide a width exceeding the width of said band and exceeding the width of said bore to provide a stop for limiting the longitudinal displacement of said first member into said bore.
 9. A device according to claim 8 wherein the flanges of the first member are offset outwardly to constitute said stop ears adjacent said fracturable impression. 